Abstract
With the surge of GPS-technology, many studies uncovered space use of mobile animals and shed light on the underlying behavioral mechanisms of habitat selection. Habitat selection and variation in either occurrence or strength of functional responses (i.e. how selection changes with availability) have given new insight into such mechanisms within populations in different ecosystems. However, linking variation in habitat selection to site-specific conditions in different populations facing contrasting environmental conditions but the same habitat type has not yet been investigated. We aimed to fill this knowledge gap by comparing within-home range habitat selection across 61 female roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) during the most critical life history stage in three study areas showing the same habitat types but with different environmental conditions. Female roe deer markedly differed in habitat selection within their home range, both within and among populations. Females facing poor environmental conditions clearly displayed a functional response, whereas females facing rich environmental conditions did not show any functional response. These results demonstrate how the use of a given habitat relative to its availability strongly varies in response to environmental conditions. Our findings highlight that the same habitat composition can lead to very different habitat selection processes across contrasted environments.
Highlights
Habitat selection is a hierarchical process involving behavioral decisions made by an individual about what habitat should be used relative to those available at different spatial and temporal scales[1,2]
Our direct measures of vegetation cover and forage quality and quantity in each habitat type provided us with a unique opportunity to assess accurately the value of a given habitat type to individuals across various environmental conditions
We were able to show that, even for a given habitat type, forage quantity and quality were highly variable among study areas (Table 1) likely in response to variation in local environmental conditions[27]
Summary
Habitat selection is a hierarchical process involving behavioral decisions made by an individual about what habitat should be used relative to those available at different spatial and temporal scales[1,2]. Because it affects the costs to benefits ratio of selecting a given habitat, the shape and the intensity of these trade-offs can vary in response to changes in the relative availability of habitats providing different essential resources[12,13]. Such a change in the strength of habitat selection according to habitat availability corresponds to a functional response in habitat selection[12]. Marked differences in the occurrence and in the strength of functional responses might even occur between populations very close spatially[11]
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